Meet the Team

get to know us

KurtBeaumont-Jones

Managing Director

Kurt still clearly remembers receiving his first computer in 1982 (aged 8), a Sinclair ZX81 with a massive 16kb of memory. He was forced to learn about the inner workings of computers because that was the only way he could play computer games successfully and troubleshoot them!Despite trying to palm off the task of learning how to fix the computer to his younger brother he eventually ended up having to do it himself. With over 20 years in the industry he isn’t that fascinated by computers anymore, how he’s stayed in the industry this long is anyone’s guess. Some speak of dark pacts whilst others say he just realises he can’t do anything else!Kurt’s philosophy is that IT contributes to the success of a business and needs to align with the business goals in order to do so. IT isn’t cool or a trend, it’s a tool to help your business. He also hates unnecessary business jargon of any type, please use plain English when speaking to him.

Favourite food: curry (hot)

Dislikes: excessive noise and wasps

Star sign: Pisces

Friends would say he’s: relaxed and friendly

TomBarbat

Head of Operations

Tom has been working on computers for as long as he can remember. He looks back fondly on his memories of building his first computer with his Dad.Since joining Vigo five years ago in 2011, Tom has progressed from an apprentice to IT Operations Manager and is now looking after the day-to-day running of the Vigo service desk and overseeing projects.When Tom is not in work he enjoys running and keeping fit. He completed his first Marathon in 2015 in Las Vegas in 3 hours and 58 minutes and hopes do another one soon.During his time at Vigo, Tom has worked on many different aspects of the business from new systems deployment to sales and growing the services offered by Vigo including telecoms and broadband.

Favourite food: mussels

Dislikes: early mornings

Star sign: Gemini

Friends would say he’s: hardworking and driven

MichaelWatson

Service Desk Team Leader

Michael is the latest young technician to take the IT world by storm... quite possibly the greatest legend in his own mind. Since joining Vigo, his IT skills have advanced at a rapid rate - now he can take on a wide variety of IT tasks... at the same time! Whilst still a young member of staff, Michael has learnt from the best and been trained thoroughly in the art of Vigo. Michael is never afraid to tackle any project placed before him and tries to carry out all tasks with as much dedication as possible.Michael is quite possibly one the most laid back human beings on the planet, his pulse rate is so low it simply doesn’t register. This coupled with his unusual diet does at times lead his colleagues to question whether he could be classed as human.Regardless, Michael is a well-loved and highly regarded member of the team and can probably repair a laptop screen faster than anybody else at Vigo. His only weakness is sharing the same first name as one of our Directors!

Favourite food: everything?!

Dislikes: early mornings

Star sign: Capricorn

Friends would say he: sings to himself while he works

DanMcDonagh

Technical Lead

Dan has had an interest in technology since a young age. Taking on work experience in 2010 was just the start of his journey with Vigo - he continued with work experience in school holidays throughout the next few years, which led to the opportunity to become a member of the team! Having been taught from the ground up by the best, Dan’s IT skills have come on a long way since then.When he isn’t in work he is often out on his bike, cycling through as many miles as the British weather will allow. He also spends a lot of time listening to music or going out with friends.

Favourite food: not fussy

Dislikes: cinemas and anything that is slow

Star sign: Capricorn

Friends would say he’s: dedicated and helpful

ThomasFinch

Field Service Engineer

Thomas has always been interested in computers, taking them apart at a very young age. Building his first with the aid of his dad at the age of 8 and since then he has developed his skills through personal research and dedication to the learning of new changes in technology.Ask him anything and he will probably know something about it!Currently developing his role as a IT Engineer, learning and becoming a great asset to the Vigo Team.

Favourite food: sausage, mash and gravy

Dislikes: bad cable management

Star sign: Leo

Friends would say he’s: what friends?!

StevenPatterson

Field Service Engineer

Steven is a self confessed nerd who loves all things IT, especially stuff that is a challenge!The one thing that drove Steven towards a career in IT is that the learning curve is never-ending... just when you think you’ve got to known a certain technology, its successor appears and the learning curve starts all over again.Roll on the release of IPv12!

Favourite food: tuna mayo pasta

Dislikes: false alerts and warm beer

Star sign: Gemini

Friends would say he’s: a joker and good with IT skills, which is a bonus!

JamieHarrison

Customer Relationship Manager

Jamie is the guy who answers the phone when you press option 2 or 3, dealing with all things sales and accounts. His love of numbers and helpful nature make Jamie great and his job, giving you a solution that doesn’t come out of a box because your business didn’t come out of a box. Currently challenging Mike Watson for the Fantasy Football crown, Jamie is proving that some Everton fans know a thing or two about football. When he’s not researching fixtures and player form, he finds the need to run and trains occasionally for half marathons. This does interfere with one of his biggest loves – Guinness!

Favourite food: steak, medium rare

Dislikes: poor customer service

Star sign: Gemini

Friends would say he’s: laid back

MelO'Connor

Head of Corporate

Mel worked for many years in Wirral Council supporting young people through activities such as school work experience and apprenticeship programmes, where she first met Kurt when Vigo IT took on their first apprentice in 2008. She also has 10 years’ experience of managing teams, as well as delivering business and tender writing support, business growth and organisational improvement advice. Mel joined Vigo in February 2018, leading the Compliance Team who support local companies to achieve and maintain their GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) compliance through audits, recommendations, advice and Data Protection Officer services. (Although she can’t believe she is old enough!) When she’s not in work, Mel is a proud Nana to her two grandchildren.

Favourite food: mushroom risotto

Dislikes: drivers who don’t use their indicators

Star sign: Sagittarius

Friends would say she’s: got a good sense of humour

CarlMercer

Service Desk Analyst

Carl has always had a keen interest in technology - ever since he was first introduced to a computer back in his early days. With some time and determination, Carl built his first computer with some help from a few friends and since then, it has never left his side. At the age of 18, Carl left secondary school after finishing his A-Levels and went straight into starting his apprenticeship at Vigo as a Junior IT Engineer.While he isn’t tinkering with electronic or helping his family solve IT problems, Carl enjoys playing poker with friends, whether it be on a competitive or friendly level. Although he can be a pretty big risk taker occasionally, he will always find some way to come out on top.

Favourite food: anything chicken

Dislikes: hot drinks

Star sign: Aries

Friends would say he’s: very competitive

HenryMaidment

Service Desk Analyst

From a young age, Henry has had a keen interest in all things technical. One of the first pictures of him is with his dad sitting at a computer. Henry enjoys playing about with broken things and gets a great deal of satisfaction from making something work by himself. The only thing he really dislikes fixing is unnecessarily complicated laptops. Innumerable times things have been taken apart in his home, much to the chagrin of everybody else living there! When he isn’t in work he can usually be found at the park or on the beach, spending time with his family and, more importantly, his dog.

Favourite food: pizza

Dislikes: bad drivers

Star sign: Pisces

Friends would say he’s: loyal

ScottBradshaw

SERVICE DESK ANALYST

Scott was born in 1999 and has grown up using computers for both leisure and educational purposes. After completing his A-Levels in 2017, Scott is looking forward to learning from the finest at Vigo while completing an apprenticeship in Business Administration, which aligns with his keen interest in all things business.In his spare time, Scott likes to stay active by taking part in sports, with football topping the list. Either that or sitting on the couch watching films and eating chocolate!

Favourite Food: Indian or sweet and sour chicken

Dislikes: roller coasters and spiders

Star sign: Cancer

Friends would say he’s: laid back and friendly

DonnyHoek

Service Desk Analyst

Donny is a tinkerer who can easily spend all day working on anything tech. Growing up using computers he has developed key skills when it comes down to getting IT done, leading him to a path towards a career in IT. He loves learning new ways to solve problems, often resulting in creating a more efficient solution. Aside from IT, Donny also has an interest in music, in particular playing the keyboard and he isn’t shy of playing a video game now and then either.